Baklava and Beyond: 12 Turkish Sweets You Should Know | Serious Eats Baklava and Beyond: 12 Turkish Sweets You Should Know 16 In Turkey, dessert is often a social ritual, a course meant to be shared. At any time of day or night, friends can be found congregating to sip Turkish coffee or tea from dainty glasses, and should you care to accompany that beverage with a roll, pastry, or snack, there's much to choose from. Baklava is just the tip of the iceberg—on a recent trip to Istanbul, I fell in love with the country's vast range of desserts, while developing a far deeper understanding of the Turkish sweet tooth. Here's a look at some of the most popular desserts you'll find. Baklava [Photo: Robyn Lee ] Baklava was just as ubiquitous as I'd anticipated, though not all brands are created equal. It's always best eaten fresh (I certainly wouldn't recommend "saving it for later"—believe me, I tried!) and thankfully it's socially acceptable to devour it for breakfast, fresh out of the oven.

The pastry comes in numerous shapes, sizes, and flavors; cevizli baklava (walnut baklava) and fistikli baklava (pistachio baklava) are what you see most often in the States: flaky layers of phyllo dough, stacked and brushed with butter and sugar syrup, and then cut into rectangles or diamonds. But keep an eye out for other variations, like ceviz dolama, a round and slightly more compact baklava made with walnuts, or the similarly shaped saray sarmasi, which features a combination of both nuts. Then there's dürüm, which is made with only a single layer of phyllo, so it's composed almost entirely of ground pistachios that turn each piece a vibrant green. And wait, there's more! Like özel kare baklava, which contains the traditional layers of phyllo but bulges with double the pistachio filling; visenli baklava, packed with sour cherries; and the delightful kestaneli baklava, in which phyllo dough is wrapped around a candied chestnut so it actually assumes that same, rotund shape.

My favorite iteration comes from Karaköy Güllüoğlu , accompanied by a generous dollop of kaymak (clotted cream) that balances out the sweetness of the nuts and provides an airy contrast to the crisp, buttery layers. It's no wonder the shop has been in business since 1871, when Güllü Çelebi brought the recipe to Gaziantep, Turkey, after learning the technique from a chef in Damascus. "Baklava is like an art," says Fatih Güllü, who runs day-to-day operations at Güllüoğlu. In Sweet Invention: A History of Dessert , he explains, "In one piece of baklava are thirty-five layers of dough. The learning process is like a university. It takes years to learn." Don't miss out on kadayif, either. Often sold alongside baklava at shops, it's indeed a similar pastry, but one that's made using shredded, syrup-soaked phyllo instead of sheets.

But while it's common to find baklava made with rosewater in Syria, or honey and cinnamon in Greece, Turkey maintains certain purist baklava standards, no matter how you fill it, wrap it, or slice it. "It is important that baklava is never made with honey, but with a simple sugar syrup," explains culinary travel expert Selin Rozanes of Turkish Flavours . "A good baklava must be made of real butter and real sugar and not their replacements." Kaymaklı kayısı I had the pleasure of taking a cooking class with the aforementioned Rozanes, after which we sat down to a feast of a lunch, capped off with kaymakli kayisi for dessert. For this unique sweet, dried apricots are cooked in a sugar syrup until soft, then stuffed with buffalo milk kaymak (the same rich, clotted cream I ate with baklava, though marscapone can be used too) and rolled in ground pistachios. The apricots can be simmered in red wine instead of water to enhance the color, advises Rozanes, and they can be garnished with crushed walnuts or hazelnuts in lieu of pistachios.

"Apricots are widely grown in Malatya in Turkey," explains Rozanes. "They store the energy of the sun during the hot summer months, and in the cold winter, are a remembrance of great sunny days. An apricot festival is held in many Turkish towns every year." Sure enough, kaymakli kayisi delivers a perfect combination of textures and flavors—fruity, creamy, and nutty all at once. Salep Dondurma [Photo: Robyn Lee ] In certain heavily trafficked areas, like Sultanahmet and Istiklal Avenue, vendors donning a red and gold fez and vest can be seen ringing a bell and calling out to passersby. They're peddling more than just the stretchy ice cream known as salep dondurma—each transaction turns into a slapstick routine with the customer, as they repeatedly trick and taunt you with the cone: grabbing it back out of your hand, flipping it upside down, tossing it in the air, making you lick it for an audience, and more.

(And, somehow, their schtick never gets old!) That said, it's not just the stuff of street vendors; dondurma is sold in familiar ice cream parlor setups, as well. The stretchy Turkish ice cream is sweetened and flavored with aromatic mastic (derived from an evergreen in the pistachio family) and thickened with salep (a powder made from wild orchid tubers). The addition of salep results in a distinct elasticity, allowing the ice cream to droop off the side of the cone without melting and dripping. "Salep dondurma is about 300 years old," says Rozanes. "It is said that it was invented in a part of southeastern Turkey where all three key ingredients were plentiful—milk, mastic resin, and salep." These days, mass production has depleted Turkey's supply of wild orchids, since 250 orchid bulbs are needed to make a kilo of the powder and it takes an orchid producing salep seven to eight years to grow back.

Consequently, there's a government ban on the export of salep, but it can be found for sale in small amounts at at some of the shops inside Mısır Çarşısı (the Spice Bazaar); I procured a bag of the precious powder from a spice shop called Ucuzcular Baharat . Revani [Photo: bp_lumia920 Flickr ] Revani is one of those things that the Turks and the Greeks both like to claim as their own but, according to Tina Wasserman, Jewish cuisine expert and author of Entree to Judaism , the original recipe can be credited to Sephardic Jews who migrated to Turkey after 1492. Originally known as tishpishti, it was renamed revani in honor of the eponymous 16th-century Turkish poet. The dense sponge cake traditionally gets its granular texture from semolina flour. In Greece, it's made with ground almonds and sweetened with honey or orange blossom syrup. But Turkish revani uses only semolina flour and sometimes yogurt, and is served steeped in a sugar syrup.

Semolina, which is ground from durum wheat and typically used to make pasta, can be found in other Turkish desserts as well, such as Turkish helva, which is made simply from semolina flour, butter, sugar, milk, and pine nuts. My first piece of revani was topped with a mastic ice cream and came with a shot of raki, Turkey's signature anise liqueur, which nicely cut the sweetness of the cake. Aşure Pudding fans will be happy in Turkey. I didn't even put a dent in the spectrum of flavors, like pomegranate, pistachio, rose, saffron, and coconut. The legendary Hafiz Mustafa , a pastry and candy store dating back to 1864, is a one-stop shop for all things pudding.

Aşure, which I tried at a historic restaurant in Sultanahmet called The Pudding Shop , is a light, fruity dessert also known as "Noah's pudding." (Named for the Noah who survived the flood—and, according to tradition, created a pudding using all the ingredients he had.) There, it carries hints of orange and a distinctive texture thanks to fig, apricot, hazelnut, garbanzo beans, golden raisins, and bulgar or barley—though the exact fruits and nuts used can vary. According to Turkish culinary expert Elizabeth Taviloğlu, some say aşure is the oldest dessert in the world. It's customary to fast for the first ten days of Muharrem (the first month of the Islamic calendar), and then share aşure with friends and neighbors on the 10th day. While there are endless variations, for a basic recipe, Taviloğlu recommends bringing the wheat or barley to a gentle boil before letting it soak overnight and absorb all the liquid. Next, the chickpeas, beans, dried fruits, sugar and flavors like lemon or orange zest are added and brought again to a boil, and then cooked until thickened.

Once cool, it should be refrigerated and garnished with nuts, seeds and other dried fruits before serving. Tavukgogsu [Photo: Robyn Lee ] Here's how a Turkish man living in New York described tavukgogsu to me: "A white pudding made from chicken—but it doesn't taste like chicken at all!" And that's a pretty spot-on description. Tavukgogsu tastes more like a rice pudding, minus the rice—creamy and smooth, but thick enough to be almost chewy. It's seasoned with cinnamon and vanilla, but there's not even a trace of chicken flavor. The white meat is added simply for the elastic texture it creates after cooking down for a long time in milk and breaking up into indistinguishable strands. The dish has its roots in a medieval French dessert called blancmange, says Rozanes, and it was once served to the sultans living at Topkapı Palace. Though it's still considered one of Turkey's signature delicacies, I had to search around Istanbul a bit before finding it at Saray Muhallebicisi , a cafe with several locations throughout the city. Kesme dondurma Have you ever eaten ice cream with a knife and fork?

Kesmek means "to cut" in Turkish, so kesme dondurma, made from salep and goat milk, refers to an ice cream made for slicing. There are several brands of the ice cream, which originated in the city of Maraş, but a cafe called MADO is one of the more well-known. They not only grow their own salep and use exclusively natural flavors for their ice creams, but also raise goats fed only with thyme, milk vetch, and orchid flowers, to give their ice cream its sweet, subtly botanical base. While kesme dondurma uses the same type of orchid-root thickening agent used in salep dondurma, it's a specific beating method that makes it dense enough to form that solid brick shape when frozen; when eaten, it melts slowly in the mouth. MADO carries several flavors of kesme dondurma, including Maraş cut (plain), peanut, orange, caramel-almond, chocolate, pistachio, and mixed fruit. Gelincik şerbet In Turkey, sherbet refers not to a fruity frozen dessert, but rather a sweet, carbonated soft drink dating back to the Ottoman empire.

According to Binnur Tomay, author of Binnur's Turkish Cookbook , sherbet was once enjoyed at each meal by sultans and visitors to the palace. In the gardens of the Ottoman Palace, spices and fruits grown for sherbets were controlled by the pharmacists and doctors. "It was used during childbirth to increase lactation of the mother," writes Tomay. "This type of sherbet is called lohusa şerbeti (birth sherbet) which is crimson in color and is flavored with cloves and herbs." In Eastern Turkey, the groom's family would bring sherbet to the bride's family after the dowry was agreed upon, as symbol of his acceptance. Now, sherbets are enjoyed on special occasions like Ramadan and weddings, served in crystal bowls placed on lace-covered trays. Popular flavors include rose, cardamom, tamarind, raspberry, poppy, and pomegranate, and they're traditionally made from a syrup steeped with honey, spices like cinnamon and clove, flower petals, and dried fruits. I picked up this delicately floral poppy sherbet (gelincik şerbet) while visiting the gilded Topkapı Palace.

Osmanli macunu Much like the salep dondurma magicians, vendors outside tourist destinations make a show of twirling and spinning melty colored sugar from a large tin onto a stick to create osmanli macunu. The origin of the candy dates back to the Ottoman Empire, when a spiced paste known as mesir macunu was used to cure Ayşe Hafsa Sultan, mother of Suleyman the Magnificent, who had fallen ill after the death of her husband. It was made from a grape molasses called pekmez and 41 different plants and spices. Hafsa Sultan was so pleased with the results, she created a festival in its honor; every March 22nd is the Mesir Macun Celebration, where wrapped candies are tossed from the roof of the mosque in Manisa, an Anatolian city in the Aegean region. The showy osmanli macunu hawked by street vendors in Sultanahmet these days is a far cry from the spicy paste of years past, which included everything from anise, cardamom, and cloves, to coriander, fennel, and rhubarb.

Instead, sweet strands of strawberry, kiwi, chocolate, orange, and lemon-flavored caramelized sugar come together to form a sticky rainbow before it's sealed off with a swipe from a halved lemon. "The one on the stick is a street food version, mostly sold as a tourist attraction," explains Rozanes. "It is sold also at the Spice Market, wrapped in candy form, for those who believe in its power." Kunefe [Photo: Robyn Lee ] This sweet and savory Levantine cheese pastry is hard to avoid in Turkey; you can smell the street vendors frying it up from blocks away. Kunefe is made from a stretchy, unsalted fresh melting cheese called hatay found only in this region—mozzarella would be the closest Western analogue. The cheese is coated in sugar syrup-soaked phyllo shreds called kadayıf (the same ones used to make some varieties of baklava, as described above), and fried until crisp. Its appeal is the contrasting textures of the crunchy exterior against the soft, melty interior. It can be topped with pistachios, kaymak (clotted cream) or ice cream—or simply eaten on its own, preferably while still piping hot.

Pudingli pasta Pudingli pasta, despite its name, is neither pudding nor pasta; rather, it's a light cake made by layering Turkish cream biscuits with a pudding-like filling. Think of it as an icebox cake, pre-icebox. While many of the desserts I tried in Turkey were dense and syrupy, this was a welcome, lighter change. Lokma [Photo: Robyn Lee ] You better have a hungry friend in tote if you order a box of the sweet, fried dough balls known as lokma. This Mediterranean answer to a doughnut is crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle, and coated with a sugar syrup, leaving you with sticky fingers. Lokma means "bite" in Turkish, and these appropriately bite-sized pieces are rich and chewy, unlike our drier, more cakelike doughnut holes. The dough is made from basic flour, yeast, salt, and oil before it's fried and doused with sugar syrup (and sometimes grated lemon peel).

Like so many treats in Turkey, lokma is said to have been created by the sultan's cooks at Ottoman Empire palaces, but these days it's a popular dessert for Turks to cook at home and serve to friends and family. Similar desserts can be found throughout the Mediterranean and Asia, such as struffoli, marble-sized Neapolitan fried dough balls coated with cinnamon and orange zest, and loukoumades, the version of the dish soaked in honey and said to be served to Olympic winners in ancient Greece. Baklava - Hilah Cooking Hilah Cooking April 4, 2014 43 Comments Baklava is a dessert as old as time, to use the phrase loosely. Originating from Turkey probably in the 15th century but perhaps earlier, this layered pastry has now spread throughout the Balkans and Middle East: Serbia, Bulgaria, Jordan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Syria, Georgia, Greece. The recipe varies slightly from country to country and region to region. All have in common thin pastry layers, nuts, and a sweet syrup.

Depending on where you find it, the filling can be made from walnuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts (even pecans if you’re in Texas). It can be a combination of nuts, or all one type. The pastry is called filo dough (also spelled phyllo or fillo) and means “leaf” in Greek. It is a wheat dough rolled impossibly thin; so thin it’s almost translucent. I’ve read that in Greece, baklava is made during Easter with 33 layers of filo to represent the 33 years of Christ’s life; I’ve also read that 40 layers are used, I guess just because 40 is a recurring number in the bible. I make mine with neither 33 nor 40 layers. I just make it as many layers as I make. In my recipe, I use a combination of walnuts and pistachios but feel free to experiment with yours. Just be sure to use unsalted nuts, and preferably raw (though if you wanted to toast them a little first I’m sure that would be delicious).

I’ve tried recipes using pure honey, heated until thin, as the syrup, but those to me turn out too sticky to be easy to eat. And if there’s one thing I need, it’s for my sweet snacks to be easy as hell to get into my mouth! Flavor your syrup with just the lemon rind or add a few drops of rose or orange flower water for a Persian-style baklava. You can also make this with olive oil instead of melted butter, or use half and half, but I like the sweetness that butter adds. Making the baklava in a larger pan and doubling the recipe is no more work, either, so if you have a crowd to feed, I recommend that. For just the two of us here, a big pan of baklava is way more than we need so I just make small 8×8 inch batches. How to make Baklava Video – scroll down for printable recipe Baklava Recipe – Printable!

1/2 pound walnuts, almonds or pistachios, or a combination 6 tablespoons sugar 1/2 pound phyllo dough, thawed 1/2 cup (1/4 pound) melted butter Syrup: 6 tablespoons sugar (1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) 1 T lemon juice 2″ strip lemon rind or orange rind 6 tablespoons honey Instructions Set oven to 325F and line a 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper and brush with butter Grind or chop the nuts. Be sure to use raw, unsalted nuts. Combine nuts with sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest in a bowl. Lay 2 phyllo pastry sheets in the bottom, brush with butter, lay 2 more sheets, butter, 2 sheets, butter (8 sheets of phyllo total). Sprinkle with a third of the filling. Lay 2 more sheets phyllo on top and brush with butter. Continue layering filling with 2 sheets of phyllo and butter until filling is used up. Layer the top with 2 sheets/butter as in the first layer until phyllo is used up. Brush top with butter.

Use a short sharp knife to cut the baklava into small diamond shapes. Cutting before cooking is necessary because once it’s cooked, you won’t be able to cut it without crushing the delicate crispy layers. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 300F and bake another 45-60 minutes until golden and puffed. During the last 15-30 minutes of baking, make the syrup: Combine syrup ingredients – except honey – in a medium pot and stir to dissolve. Heat over medium-high until boiling. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes uncovered. Add honey and simmer another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and remove rinds. Pour hot syrup over hot baklava then let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Notes Recipe may be doubled and baked in an 11×7 inch or 13×9 inch pan instead. QUICK CHILL: for an 8×8″ pan, get a very large bowl with an opening about 13″ across. Fill almost to the top with cold water and ice. Set the pan on top, so that the bottom is just touching the cold water.

Baklava will be cooled within 10-15 minutes. How to Make Baklava — Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn | The Kitchn Email Baklava is one of those desserts that has a reputation for difficulty, but is actually surprisingly easy to make. I suspect this is because working with phyllo dough always seems tricky, but if you follow a few very simple tips, it's really not — and the results are addictive. Read on for how to make a pan of sticky, sweet, buttery, flaky, nutty baklava! Baklava is a dessert of the Middle East and Mediterranean, and it has numerous variations depending on the country of origin. Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Greece, Jordan, Israel, Afghanistan, Georgia, Iran, Armenia and many other countries and regions all have a variation of this pastry, which is made with buttered layers of phyllo dough and ground nuts (usually pistachio, walnuts or almonds, or a combination) and covered in a sweet, often honeyed, syrup. Other flavorings include cinnamon, cloves, rose water, cardamon, clove, and orange rind.

For this recipe, I used a mixture of walnuts and pistachios. I like this flavor combination and the pretty green color that the pistachios bring. For this same reason, I garnish my baklava with chopped pistachios, but you can use walnuts as well. The thing that most often scares people away from making baklava is handling the tissue paper-like sheets of phyllo. It really isn't that difficult, if you remember a few simple tips: Tips for Working with Phyllo Defrost your phyllo dough in the refrigerator. The night before you are going to make your baklava, put the package of phyllo dough in the refrigerator to defrost. Do not try to use frozen phyllo — it will crack. Unwrap it carefully. The phyllo usually comes rolled up in plastic and should unwrap easily. Leave the larger plastic sheet beneath it and try to unroll it in the place where you will be using it so you won't have to move it once it's laid out. Cover with a dampened tea towel. Dampen a cotton or linen tea towel and place it over the unrolled sheets. Important: Be sure the towel is wrung out very well.

If the towel is too damp, it will gum up the sheets. Keep it covered. Always replace the tea towel after you have removed a sheet of phyllo from the stack. Handle gently. Be gentle with the sheets of phyllo. Keep the stack near your baking dish so you don't have to transport it very far once you lift a sheet off of the stack. Rips and tears are OK. Phyllo dough rips easily, but that's OK. You are building up several layers of dough, so a rip or ragged edge here and there will be fine, and likely hidden within the baklava. Even if your last piece tears a little, it will only contribute to the rustic, many-layered look of the dish. Trimming the phyllo. Phyllo comes in many sizes and a single sheet may not fit into your baking pan. One option is to trim the phyllo to fit: simply measure the inside of your pan and, using a scissors, cut the whole stack to fit. I find that scissors are easier than a knife, which can pull and drag on the layers. Trimming isn't always necessary.

Even if your sheets aren't a perfect fit to your pan, you can still use them without trimming. Just fold them over to fit, being sure that you stagger the folds so you aren't creating extra layers in one place. Don't use a ton of butter. You don't have to coat each layer completely with butter. Just gently brush the butter on here and there without covering every inch of the surface. Don't press really hard or you'll drag or tear the phyllo sheet. You may notice that the measurements for the nuts in the recipe below are given in weight, not volume. This is because the size of the nuts can vary wildly and therefore can really screw up a volume measurement. For example, a cup of whole walnuts will weigh less than a cup of walnut pieces simply because you can fit more pieces in cup. The other important thing is to be sure that you have a very sharp knife. The baklava should be cut before you bake it and recut again after baking to be sure all the pieces are separated. A sharp knife is crucial.Many recipes call for as much as one pound of butter to make baklava.

I find that somewhat shocking as I've never needed more that half that amount (two sticks) to make my baklava, and it it always comes out flaky and buttery. It's not necessary to drench each layer of phyllo in butter. Drizzling and dotting the butter will distribute it enough. Rose water is a traditional flavoring for baklava. I did not include it in the recipe below but it's easy enough to add if you enjoy its sweet, floral perfume. Alton Brown has a nice trick where you put 1 teaspoon of rose water and 1/4 cup of water in a spritz bottle and then use it to mist the nut layers before starting with the next phyllo layers. Finally, baklava is best after it has sat for a while, so it's perfectly fine to make it a day before you plan to serve it. The recipe below makes about 28 squares, but you can get even more out of it if you cut the squares even smaller. Remember, baklava is a rich pastry and most people only need a bite or two — though it is very addictive!

I was very grateful that my neighbors were in the middle of a renovation project so I could give away most of the pan of baklava I made for this post to their construction workers. If I hadn't, there's no doubt that I would have eaten the entire pan, given a day or two. It's that crazy-good. Making baklava is easy if you get everything in place before you start assembling. How to Make Baklava Best places to buy Baklava in Istanbul | Global Blue Istanbul Best places to buy Baklava in Istanbul Baklava, Turkey’s best-loved dessert, is a sweet treat that’s a favourite with locals and visitors alike. An ideal souvenir from Istanbul, it is a must-try during your stay in the Istanbul. Baklava can be found all over the city – here is our edit of the five best places to try it City Guide Baklava is a rich sweet pastry made with layers of filo, honey and topped with nuts Karaköy Güllüoğlu The Güllüoğlu family have been in the baklava business since 1820 so it is fair to say that they are well acquainted with the Turkish dessert.

The family business opened a shop in Karakoy in 1949 and has since gained a reputation throughout the city for exceptional baklava – arguably the best in Istanbul, recommended by visitors and locals alike. The shop sells baklava alongside other the sweet treats, and the boxes it is packaged in make impressive souvenirs of Istanbul. Karaköy Güllüoğlu, Rıhtım Caddesi, Karaköy, +90 (0)212 293 0910 Develi After a day spent wandering around the Spice Bazaar , be sure to stop at Develi. The shop close to the market sells some of the best baklava in the city, and aficionados revelling in the many varieties available. The classic baklava with a choice of nut fillings is always a good choice. Those for something a little different should go for the bülbül yuvası, a pastry filled with kaymak (clotted cream) and pistachios.

Develi, Hasırcılar Caddesi 89, Eminönü, +90 (0)212 512 1261 Köşkeroğlu Those who sometimes find baklava a little too sweet will appreciate Köşkeroğlu’s perfect balance of pastry, butter and honey. This must-visit store’s baklava is a strong contender for the best in Istanbul, with outstanding flavour combinations, both traditional and unique. The long queue of locals outside the restaurant is a testament to the quality of the baklava found here. Köşkeroğlu, Mumhane Caddesi, Karaköy, +90 (0)212 243 1591 Konyalı Pastanesi While Konyalı is slightly more expensive than other traditional cafés, its impressive views of the Bosphorus and standout baklava make it a popular choice with statesmen and other discerning client. The Konyalı bakery next door is famous for its pastries and baklava is always a top buy. Choose a selection with a glass of tea for a memorable Turkish afternoon pick-me-up.

Konyalı Pastanesi, Ankara Caddesi, Sirkeci, +90 (0)212 527 1235 Hafiz Mustafa Hafiz Mustafa in Taksim Square is one of the oldest baklava shops in Istanbul and a great spot for tea and cakes. It sells an assortment of traditional Turkish treats, from Turkish delight to candied fruits and, of course, baklava. The baklava alone comes in an impressive variety of flavours. Buy a single piece to nibble on the spot, or choose a selection box – an ideal Isbanbul souvenir . Hafiz Mustafa, Hobyar Mahallesi, Hamidiye Caddesi 84, Eminönü, +90 (0)212 513 3610 Easy Baklava Recipe - Allrecipes.com Graden 7/29/2007 This is delicious!!! I made a couple of changes, I increased honey to 3/4 cup and added 1/8 teaspoon cloves. Next time I will use 8 layers of dough before adding the first layer of nuts, with ...

ellaphunt 12/19/2007 Very good recipe. I've been making baklava for years. I have always purchased a disposable foil pan (1/2 sheet cake size) and it seems to fit the full phyllo sheets perfectly. I only make a Chri... CIACIA 12/28/2004 This is great and much easier than I thought. It is very important to cover the phyllo with a damp towell while working with it. Also, use a bit more honey, like 3/4 c., and orange zest works j... Jennifer Lebow 10/1/2002 This is my husband's favorite desert and he said it was better than the gourmet stuff we usually buy. I thought I could have used a little less of the syrup and more phyllo (it was VERY nutty) ... TheCookingFlorist 8/24/2006 This was AMAZING! My boyfriend and I always get Baklava at a Greek Restaurant in town, and we both thought this was MUCH better!! It was sooooo easy to make, followed the recipe exactly, althou...

PODGER1 4/23/2006 AWESOME! Very authentic taste. Super, super easy to make...time consuming, but easy. This was THE HIT of the party and the best dessert there. I followed the recipe to the tee and did not ch... wifemotherslave 1/15/2008 This was awesome, I used walnuts and almonds for the nuts, and used pumpkin pie spice and lots of extra cinnamon for the spices. I served it at a dinner party and there was only one piece left!... queenfan89 1/2/2011 I was excited to use this since I had tried baklava at the nearest Greek market in Winston-Salem. I followed this recipe to the letter and all had been fine until I followed the instructions to ... Mommy of 3 2/19/2007 I've never had baklava before now so I can't compare, but my family loved this recipe. My husband kept making people try it and he's a very picky eater. I think next time I make it I'll follow...

Baklava , history , origin , recipes Recipe for Baklava It is widely believed however, that the Assyrians at around 8th century B.C. were the first people who put together a few layers of thin bread dough, with chopped nuts in between those layers, added some honey and baked it in their primitive wood burning ovens. This earliest known version of baklava was baked only on special occasions. In fact, historically baklava was considered a food for the rich until mid-19th century. In Turkey, to this day one can hear a common expression often used by the poor, or even by the middle class, saying: "I am not rich enough to eat baklava and boerek every day". REGIONAL INTERACTIONS: The Greek seamen and merchants traveling east to Mesopotamia soon discovered the delights of Baklava. It mesmerized their taste buds. They brought the recipe to Athens. The Greeks' major contribution to the development of this pastry is the creation of a dough technique that made it possible to roll it as thin as a leaf, compared to the rough, bread-like texture of the Assyrian dough.

In fact, the name "Phyllo" was coined by Greeks, which means "leaf" in the Greek language. In a relatively short time, in every kitchen of wealthy households in the region, trays of baklava were being baked for all kinds of special occasions from the 3rd Century B.C. onwards. The Armenians, as their Kingdom was located on ancient Spice and Silk Routes, integrated for the first time the cinnamon and cloves into the texture of baklava. The Arabs introduced the rose-water and cardamom. The taste changed in subtle nuances as the recipe started crossing borders. To the north of its birthplace, baklava was being baked and served in the palaces of the ancient Persian kingdom. To the west, it was baked in the kitchens of the wealthy Roman mansions, and then in the kitchens of the Byzantine Empire until the fall of the latter in 1453 A.D. THE PERFECTION: In the 15th Century A.D., the Ottomans invaded Constantinople to the west, and they also expanded their eastern territories to cover most of ancient Assyrian lands and the entire Armenian Kingdom.

The Byzanthion Empire came to an end, and in the east Persian Kingdom lost its western provinces to the invaders. For four hundred years from 16th Century on, until the decline of Ottoman Empire in 19th Century, the kitchens of Imperial Ottoman Palace in Constantinople became the ultimate culinary hub of the empire. The artisans and craftsmen of all Guilds, the bakers, cooks and pastry chefs who worked in the Ottoman palaces, at the mansions of Pashas and Viziers, and at Provincial Governor (Vali) residences etc., had to be recruited from various ethnic groups that composed the empire. Armenian, Greek, Persian, Egyptian, Assyrian and occasionally Serbian, Hungarian or even French chefs were brought to Constantinople, to be employed at the kitchens of the wealthy. These chefs contributed enormously to the interaction and to the refinement of the art of cooking and pastry-making of an Empire that covered a vast region to include the Balkans, Greece, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Persia, Armenia, Iraq and entire Mesopotamia, Palestine, Egypt, North Africa and the Mediterranean and Aegean islands.

Towards the end of 19th Century, small pastry-shops started to appear in Constantinople and in major Provincial capitals, to cater the middle class, but the Ottoman Palace have always remained the top culinary "academy" of the Empire, until its end in 1923. Here, we must mention that there's a special reason for baklava being the top choice of pastry for the Turkish Sultans with their large Harems, as well as for the wealthy and their families. Two principal ingredients, the pistachio and honey, were believed to be aphrodisiacs when taken regularly. Certain spices that were added to baklava, have also helped to fine-tune and to augment the aphrodisiac characteristics of the pastry, depending on male or female consumer. Cinnamon for females, and cardamom for males and cloves for both sexes. From 18th century on, there was nothing much to add to baklava's already perfectioned taste and texture. There were however, some cosmetic modifications in shaping and in the presentation of baklava on a baking tray (called Sini).

The Phyllo dough (called Youfka) which was traditionally layered and cut into squares or triangles, were given a "French touch" in late 18th century. As the Empire began opening itself to Western cultural (and culinary) influences, the General manager (Kahyabasi) of the Imperial Kitchen didn't miss the opportunity to hire Monsieur Guillaume, a former pastry chef of Marie Antoinette, who in exile at the Ottoman Turkish Palace after learning how to bake baklava, created the "dome" technique of cutting and folding of the baklava squares which was named "Baklava Francaise" (Frenk Baklavasi) after the nationality of its creator. Thank you to my good friend in Istanbul,Turkey, Ruhan Çelebi for her help. She donated this recipe for Baklava also. Here is a video of a Turkish Baklava Factory.

Blog - Libanaissweets Blog Posted by Baklava on 22nd Mar 2016 I read with great interest the article posted on Groupon and titled “The Best Chicago Baklava Ranked by a Greek pastry Chef Mom” , and while the article was fun to read and light hearted, I honestly was expecting a lot more from it and, with all due respect, I believe the article was a bit misleading to the readers. I am not here to start a culinary cultural war, I am just trying to set things straight: Lebanese Baklava is the best, the most diversified and the one that contributed to the advancement of Baklava more than that of any other culture in the world. Did I say I was not going to start a culturpistachio_squaresal culinary war? Oups! :). Before justifying the reasons that led me to consider the post as misleading and showering you with facts about Lebanese Baklava, allow me to make one fact crystal clear: judging food is not a piece of cake! As such a process involves a comprehensive set of criteria involving quality, look, smell and most importantly taste.

First thing first, the Greek Pastry chef mom compared Greek Baklava to Middle Eastern Baklava without explaining to the readers that by default they are not the same as every culture puts their own stamps on it. While they may share the same name, some of the same ingredients they are different. Baklava has always had a controversial, not very well documented history which I invite you to read on my website where I have detailed the history of baklava . Secondly, hosting friends and asking them to choose between your family recipe and that of others is not exactly an objective approach at ranking baklava in Chicago. Middle Eastern Baklava is not the same as the Greek one nor the Turkish one. Greek Baklava is very sweet usually filled with walnuts or pistachios and dipped in honey. It comes in one shape, squares; One piece of balloriehGreek Baklava is fulfilling and for some overwhelming.

While Turkish Baklava comes in numerous shapes, sizes and flavors: cevizli baklava (walnut baklava), fistikli baklava (pistachio baklava) and saray sarmasi (walnut+pistachio baklava) are the ones you see often. You may also find özel kare baklava containing double the pistachio filling and visenli baklava packed with sour cherries. Turkish baklava is served in multiple shapes: rounds, rectangles or diamonds. Turkish Baklava is never made with honey, it’s made with a simple sugar syrup as they believe a good baklava is made of real sugar and not its replacement. Middle Eastern Baklava, Lebanese in particular is very different. It’s lighter and flakier. It’s made of phyllo dough sheets filled with Walnuts, Pistachios, Almonds, Cashews or Pine Nuts and dipped in syrup made borma_pistachioof orange blossom water and rose water, sugar and water. It comes in a variety of triangular rectangular, diamond or square shapes.

Now that we made the difference crystal clear, let’s move to the set of criteria (and I am not referring to our own opinions) based on which I will prove that the Lebanese Baklava, we make at Libanais Sweets, is the best. Quality– our secret recipe phyllo dough (my grandfather’s recipe) is the best but I can’t tell you why! We’re committed to using high quality fresh and natural ingredients acquired directly from local farmers (when possible) and free of artificial flavors and preservatives. Nuts are never mixed in the same baklava piece to lower the cost of production. All the nuts we use are handpicked and each piece is handcrafted. Look– they say “don’t judge a book by its cover”, well that’s not the case here! The look is the very first indicator of any product quality, and that’s what we believe in. We pay attention to every little detail: the size, the color, the shape, the lightness, the texture etc…a simple glance at one of our Baklava pieces will be sufficient: yish_boulboulou will clearly distinguish every well cut layer of phyllo dough sandwiching the roasted to perfection fresh nuts.

Taste– Well, it’s like a perfect harmony between the phyllo dough taste, the nuts taste and the taste of the back-stage ingredients. With each bite, you will distinguish the different textures and flavors of the ingredients with a pleasant aftertaste that will leave you wondering. Not too sweet, not too dry…not over roasted, not too brown…not too puréed, not too chunky, just perfect. Smell– another delight: when you lift it to your mouth, a blend of creamy fresh ghee, nature scent of nuts with the hints of orange blossom and rose water will give you the first, everlasting, desired impression! Quality √

Question: What type of pastry is used to make Baklava, a sweet dessert produced in Greece and Turkey
Answer: Filo